SEATTLE – USRowing announced its annual awards as selected by its Board of Directors with Seattle Pacific University women's rowing head coach Caitlin McClain being named the recipient of the Ernestine Bayer Award.
The Ernestine Bayer Award recognizes outstanding contributions to women's rowing and/or to an outstanding woman in rowing. McClain certainly fits the criteria after incredible accomplishments with the Falcons and the USRowing U19 national team in 2024.
"I am so humbled to be recognized with USRowing's Ernestine Beyer Award," McClain said. "It is such an honor to share the spotlight with this year's slate of awardees and also be among the list of previous winners, many of whom are role models to me. This year marks my 20th year of coaching, so it feels even more momentous to receive this accolade. I am so grateful to all the colleagues, mentors, and especially athletes who have had the opportunity to learn from and work with over the years. Many thanks to USRowing as well as Seattle Pacific and Holy Names for supporting my development as a coach and leader."
The highlight for McClain and the Falcons happened at NCAA Nationals last June. Aleksia Haugen, Gem Gatmaytan, Bella Lisenby, and Megan Rouse captured the Varsity 4+ national championship. The combination of Falcons was put together at the beginning of the week leading up to the national championships. It led to instant success. SPU blasted down the 2,000-meter course in 07:46.395. They beat Cal Poly Humboldt by 4.015 seconds, while Central Oklahoma took third. As a team, the Falcons took fifth at last year's nationals.
McClain's Falcons shined individually as well at last year's national championships. Audrey Rekedal was named the Elite 90 Award Winner last June. The Elite 90, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among her peers. The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships.
McClain guided the Falcons to success on and off the water in 2024. 14 Falcons were named to the GNAC All-Academic team. To make the GNAC All-Academic team, nominees must have a minimum 3.2 cumulative GPA on a 4.00 scale. Three more earned CRCA Scholar-Athlete honors. In total, McClain's Falcons collected the V4+ national title, an NCAA Elite 90 Award, an All-American nod, a GNAC specialty award, and 17 individual academic awards in 2024.
Haugen and Rekedal entered 2025 with plenty of hype, as both were named to the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Athletes to Watch list. On top of the V4+ national championship, Haugen was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Co-Coxwain of the Year. In the classroom, she earned a spot on the GNAC All-Academic team and was named a CRCA scholar-athlete.
Rekedal was part of the varsity eight boat at nationals, rowing in the No. 3 seat. She shines in the classroom with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Rekedal made the GNAC All-Academic team for the second time in 2024 and received a CRCA scholar-athlete award.
McClain's leadership and coaching with the U19 women's national team have helped lay the foundations for the long-term development of talent in the United States. This past year, her U19 women's eight won by over five seconds at the 2024 World Rowing Championships. She has been coaching in the USRowing U19 system since 2014. After five years as an assistant working with sweep and sculling boats, she coached the 2019 U19 women's quadruple sculls in Tokyo. In 2021, she became the women's head coach and led her crews to A final finishes in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
The Falcons continue their 2025 season on April 26 and 27 at the WIRA Championships in Gold River, Calif.
SPU SOCIAL
Seattle's only NCAA Division II Scholarship Program | #GoFalcons
